Café Michel
Terra Etica SCOP (commercial name Café Michel) is a French worker cooperative that roasts organic and fair-trade Arabica coffee and produces single-origin chocolate tablets, sourced from 53 producer cooperatives and sold across France via e-commerce, a Pessac boutique, organic retail stores, and professional bulk channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersPessac, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Café Michel does
Terra Etica SCOP, commercially known as Café Michel and transitioning to the Terra Etica brand (as of June 2024), is a French worker cooperative (SCOP) headquartered in Pessac near Bordeaux, founded in 1981 and converted to a SCOP in 2007. It operates an artisanal coffee roasting workshop in Pessac (two roasters with 120kg and 240kg capacity, using custom 12–15 minute roasting curves per origin) and a chocolate manufacturing facility in Gers, southern France. The portfolio spans two main lines: Café de terroir (single-origin Arabica from 10 countries) and Blend Signature (multi-origin recipes), plus single-origin and blended chocolate tablets (70–85% cocoa), tea, infusions, spices, essential oils, coffee machines, and accessories. All products carry dual EU Organic and SPP fair-trade certifications, with physical traceability from cooperative to consumer and no mass-balance accounting.
The business model is direct-to-consumer and wholesale: products are sold through an owned e-commerce store (terraetica.fr), a company-operated boutique in Pessac, organic retail stores (magasins bio) across France, and bulk (5kg) formats for professional and catering customers. Pricing is unit-based (€3.85–€30.81 for coffee, €4.23–€4.98 for 100g chocolate) with pay-as-you-go billing. The firm employs 27 people, of whom 21 are associate members (sociétaires) under democratic one-person-one-vote governance. Customer segments are conscious individual consumers, organic retailers, and professional/HoReCa buyers; producer-side relationships extend to 53 cooperatives across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, including Norandino (Peru, cocoa pre-transformation) and LAZAN'NY SAMBIRANO (Madagascar). Recent strategic activity in 2024 has focused on brand unification, recyclable mono-material packaging (3 years of R&D), and enhanced consumer-facing packaging with flavor-wheel and Barista Notebook content.
Café Michel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Café Michel
- Legal name
- Terra Etica SCOP
- Website
- https://cafemichel.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Terra Etica SCOP (commercial name Café Michel) is a French worker cooperative that roasts organic and fair-trade Arabica coffee and produces single-origin chocolate tablets, sourced from 53 producer cooperatives and sold across France via e-commerce, a Pessac boutique, organic retail stores, and professional bulk channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Café Michel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee & Chocolate
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL), Ethnic Bakery, Confectionery & Snacks Wholesale (AFAIAIAE)
Keywords
Where Café Michel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pessac
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Café Michel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales (Coffee, Chocolate, Tea): Primary revenue stream from selling roasted coffee, chocolate tablets, tea, spices, and essential oils through e-commerce and physical retail. Products sold in various formats (whole beans, ground, bulk, pods) and sizes (250g, 500g, 1kg).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Origin Coffee - Café de Terroir (250g-1kg) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Blend Signature Coffee (250g-1kg) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chocolate Tablets (100g) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Café Michel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Terra Etica (formerly Café Michel) is an artisanal coffee roaster and chocolate maker that produces organic and fair trade Arabica coffees (single-origin Café de Terroir and Blend Signature blends), dark, milk and gianduja chocolate tablets, organic teas, infusions, spices, essential oils and coffee accessories. All products are certified under the European Bio label and the SPP (Symbole des Producteurs Paysans) fair trade label, with direct physical traceability to 53 producer cooperatives across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The company's own roasting workshop (Pessac) and chocolate manufacturing facility (Gers) handle small-batch production in France.
Product overview
Terra Etica (formerly Café Michel) is an artisanal coffee roaster and chocolate maker operating as a SCOP cooperative based in Pessac, France. The product portfolio centers on two main categories: (1) Arabica coffees available in two lines — Café de terroir (single-origin pure origins from 10 countries including Guatemala, Bolivie, Colombie, Ethiopie, Honduras, Equateur, Mexique, Pérou, Burundi) and Blend Signature (blended recipes including Expresso 2 Continents, Spécial Expresso, and Mélange Doux/Équilibré/Corsé) — offered in formats of whole beans, ground, and bulk in 250g, 500g, and 1kg sizes; and (2) Chocolate tablets (dark, milk, and gianduja) ranging from 70-85% cocoa content, sourced from Madagascar, Peru, Ecuador, and Togo cooperatives, manufactured in their Gers chocolate workshop. The company also offers tea and infusions, spices, essential oils, coffee machines, and accessories. All products carry both organic and fair trade certification (Bio European label and SPP - Symbole des Producteurs Paysans).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Café de Terroir: Pure origin coffees from single territories
- Blend Signature
Products and services
- Café de Terroir (single-origin Arabica coffees) Single-origin Arabica coffees from specific terroir regions across 10 countries (Burundi, Peru, Ethiopia/Moka Guji, Guatemala/Huehuetenango, Bolivia/Yungas, Colombia/Cauca, Honduras/Marcala, Ecuador/Loja, Mexico/Alto Chiapas). Available in whole beans, ground, and bulk formats in 250g, 500g, and 1kg sizes; organic and fair trade certified.
- Blend Signature (blended Arabica coffees) Blended coffee recipes combining multiple origins, including Expresso Gourmet (Guatemala/Ethiopia), Mélange Doux, Mélange Équilibré, Mélange Corsé, Expresso 2 Continents (Colombia/Congo), and Spécial Expresso (Arabica/Robusta blend with Italian roasting). Available in 150g, 250g, 500g, and 1kg formats; organic and fair trade certified.
- Chocolat Noir 85% Madagascar Grand Cru Sambirano Dark chocolate tablet (85% cocoa) made from Criollo and Trinitario cocoa varieties from the Sambirano valley in Madagascar, produced by the LAZAN'NY SAMBIRANO cooperative. Features citrus and dried fruit notes. 100g format, organic and fair trade certified.
- Chocolat Noir 70% Pérou Grand Cru Amazonas Dark chocolate tablet (70% cocoa) from native Criollo varieties produced by Norandino and Sol y Café cooperatives in Peru's Amazonas region. Features red fruit notes. 100g format, manufactured in the Terra Etica chocolaterie in Gers, France; organic and fair trade certified.
- Chocolat Noir 80% Équateur Dark chocolate tablet (80% cocoa) made from Nacional variety cocoa from Ecuador, with floral notes. 100g format, organic and fair trade certified.
- Thé et infusion Terra Etica (organic and fair trade teas) Range of organic and fair trade tea products including green tea, black tea, rooibos and herbal infusions, available in bulk boxes and loose leaf formats.
- Épices Terra Etica (organic and fair trade spices) Range of organic and fair trade spices including ground ginger from Madagascar/Sri Lanka and black pepper from Madagascar.
- Huiles essentielles et beurre de cacao Terra Etica Organic and fair trade essential oils and cocoa butter products, with some ingredients sourced from three French cooperatives.
- Sucre et fruit en bocal (organic and fair trade sweet pantry) Sweet pantry range including organic and fair trade sugar and canned fruits.
- Machines à café et méthode douce (coffee machines and manual brewing equipment) Automatic coffee machines for professional and home use, plus manual brewing equipment including filter coffee makers and French press (piston) machines.
- Accessoires café et thé (coffee and tea accessories) Range of coffee and tea accessories including filters, storage boxes, cups, bottles, thermoses, tea accessories, grinders, kettles, scales, and automatic machine maintenance products.
- Professional bulk coffee (5 kg vrac) Bulk 5 kg coffee format offered for professional customers (cafés, restaurants, offices, catering), providing artisanal specialty coffee in higher volumes with organic and fair trade certification.
- 100% recyclable mono-material coffee packaging Innovative coffee packaging format launched in June 2024 with 100% recyclable mono-material film and an enhanced information layer (flavor wheel, roasting level, intensity indicators, Barista Notebook with preparation tips, and improved supply chain transparency).
Quantifiable outcome
- 15% additional revenue for cocoa producers through pre-transformation at cooperative level
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Café Michel
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Café Michel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Café Michel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- NorandinocorePeruvian cocoa cooperative that transforms cocoa beans into cocoa mass on-site, adding 15% value for producers. Cocoa from Norandino used in Peru and Ecuador origin chocolate tablets. Located in Amazonas region.
- Lazan'ny SambiranocoreMadagascar cocoa cooperative of 300 small producers founded in 2001. Produces Grand Cru Sambirano cocoa with Criollo and Trinitario varieties. Their own export capability avoids local collectors.
- BiolaitsecondaryFrench dairy cooperative with 25 years of experience, comprising peasant farmers practicing organic peasant agriculture exceeding European organic standards. Milk sourced from northwest France farms.
- HOMA et Layo TaragacoreEthiopian coffee cooperative, pioneers of the cooperative movement in Ethiopia.
- COMSAcoreHonduran coffee cooperative with sophisticated organic farming system.
- UNION PROAGROcoreBolivian Aymara coffee producers practicing agroforestry to protect forests and preserve biodiversity.
- MAJOMUTcoreMexican coffee cooperative in Chiapas defending indigenous community rights.
- ORO VERDEcorePeruvian Chankas coffee cooperative contributing to preserved Amazonian biodiversity.
- UMUCO W'IkawacoreBurundian coffee cooperative creating an equitable coffee value chain as an alternative to multinational sector players.
- DAMOTA Wolayta UnioncoreEthiopian cooperative providing complementary income to food production through coffee farming.
- APODIPcoreGuatemalan coffee cooperative in Huehuetenango using agro-ecological practices to preserve an ecological reserve.
- Sol y CafecorePeruvian coffee cooperative strong in supporting its producer members.
- CPNCKcoreDemocratic Republic of Congo cooperative handling coffee cultivation through to green coffee export.
- ILLAMPUcoreBolivian cooperative using agro-ecological practices to preserve a major terroir region.
- ASOBAGRIcoreGuatemalan cooperative with exceptional terroir and strong structure dedicated to producers.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Café Michel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lobodis: Lobodis is a French fair trade coffee company selling organic and smallholder-sourced coffees through retail and foodservice channels. It competes directly with Terra Etica in the French fair trade coffee segment with similar B2B distribution to organic specialty stores and similar ethical sourcing narrative.
- Malongo: Malongo is a long-established French fair trade coffee roaster founded in 1934, specializing in organic and ethically sourced coffees. It directly competes with Terra Etica in the French artisanal fair trade coffee market, serving similar conscious consumers through retail, HoReCa, and foodservice channels.
- Kaoka: Kaoka is a French fair trade chocolate brand focused on direct long-term relationships with cocoa producer cooperatives in West Africa and South America. Its direct-trade single-origin chocolate manufacturing and similar ethical positioning make it directly comparable to Terra Etica's Gers chocolate operations.
- Alter Eco: Alter Eco is a French-origin (now US-headquartered) fair trade brand specializing in organic coffee, chocolate, and quinoa with direct trade sourcing from small farmer cooperatives. Its multi-category fair trade positioning and direct trade model parallel Terra Etica's approach across coffee and chocolate.
- Equal Exchange: Equal Exchange is a US worker cooperative selling fair trade coffee, chocolate, and snacks through retail and foodservice. Its cooperative ownership structure and direct trade relationships with small farmer cooperatives make it a directly comparable ethical CPG peer despite its US focus.
- Ethiquable: Ethiquable is a French SCOP (worker cooperative) food brand selling organic and fair trade products including coffee, chocolate, tea, and grocery items. Its cooperative ownership structure, multi-category fair trade portfolio, and distribution through French organic retail make it a highly comparable peer to Terra Etica.
Broad incumbents
- Green & Black's: Green & Black's (owned by Mondelez) is a leading organic and fair trade chocolate brand with broad UK and international distribution. It overlaps with Terra Etica's premium organic chocolate positioning but operates at significantly larger scale as part of a multinational parent's portfolio.
- Tony's Chocolonely: Tony's Chocolonely is a leading Dutch ethical chocolate brand with broad international distribution and significant scale. While focused exclusively on slave-free chocolate rather than coffee or tea, it competes for the same conscious consumer dollar in the ethical chocolate category.
Regional players
- Cafés Richard: Cafés Richard is a long-established French specialty coffee roaster founded in 1892 serving both retail and HoReCa customers across France. It overlaps with Terra Etica in French specialty coffee distribution but is broader in historical scope, larger in scale, and not exclusively fair trade focused.
Emerging players
- L'Arbre à Café: L'Arbre à Café is a French specialty coffee roaster focused on single-origin, high-end specialty coffees with direct sourcing relationships from producing countries. It overlaps with Terra Etica's Café de Terroir single-origin line but operates with a more exclusive third-wave specialty positioning and smaller scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Café Michel social profiles
Digital presenceCafé Michel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Café Michel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Café Michel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Café Michel subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Café Michel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Café Michel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Café Michel
What does Café Michel do?
Terra Etica (formerly Café Michel) is an artisanal coffee roaster and chocolate maker that produces organic and fair trade Arabica coffees (single-origin Café de Terroir and Blend Signature blends), dark, milk and gianduja chocolate tablets, organic teas, infusions, spices, essential oils and coffee accessories. All products are certified under the European Bio label and the SPP (Symbole des Producteurs Paysans) fair trade label, with direct physical traceability to 53 producer cooperatives across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The company's own roasting workshop (Pessac) and chocolate manufacturing facility (Gers) handle small-batch production in France.
Is Café Michel a public or private company?
Café Michel is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Café Michel founded?
Café Michel was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Café Michel based?
Café Michel is headquartered in Pessac, France, in the Europe region.
How does Café Michel make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales (Coffee, Chocolate, Tea).
Who are Café Michel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lobodis, Malongo, Kaoka, Alter Eco, Equal Exchange and Ethiquable. Broad incumbents are Green & Black's and Tony's Chocolonely. Cafés Richard is listed as a regional player. L'Arbre à Café is listed as an emerging player.
Does Café Michel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Café Michel.
What industry is Café Michel in?
Café Michel's product category is Specialty Coffee & Chocolate. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAGAI, Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories), with a secondary code of BPAGALAL, Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2000.